


honey in my ears

by hale_and_hearty



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Birthdays, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Post canon, birthday fic, happy boys, roadhead, straight fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 18:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hale_and_hearty/pseuds/hale_and_hearty
Summary: It's just one word. Roadhead.





	honey in my ears

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emptythoughts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptythoughts/gifts).



> filling this prompt by emptythoughts: "for his birthday one year Neil gives Andrew a card that just says 'roadhead' which makes him crack a smile and everyone is desperate to know what it said but they won't say and Andrew probably lit it on fire"

It's Andrew's birthday.

There are balloons, and streamers, and cake and ice cream and a lot of vodka and the entire team crowded into his dorm. Apparently, Andrew's nothing with Neil makes them all think they're Andrew's friends or something.

Renee sidles up next to him with a glass of water, smiling into the rim as he takes a drag of his cigarette and blows smoke out the open window. "It was nice of Nicky to throw you a party."

Andrew doesn't dignify that with a response. If Nicky wanted to do something nice for Andrew, he would have taken Aaron and Kevin away for the evening and left Andrew alone.

And yet.

There's Neil, surrounded by their team, flushed and smiling and tipsy. There's glitter on his cheeks and his eyes are rimmed with smoky gray liner, no doubt Reynolds' doing. They make eye contact and Neil's grin widens and he raises his hand in a wave before Dan grabs his arm, shouting something into his ear even though the music isn't really that loud.

"He looks happy," Renee says, and it's not like her to make idle chit chat, so she must be getting at something. When Andrew glances back at her, she's looking at Neil, at where Reynolds is smacking a lipstick kiss against his cheek and laughing bright and twinkly. "They all do. Our team."

"Sentiment doesn't suit you," Andrew says idly. Her eyes are misting. His skin itches.

"Apathy doesn't suit _you_ ," she fires back, but there's no heat in it. She looks up at him, smiles innocently, and then says loudly, voice ringing clear, "Is it time for presents?"

Andrew had almost forgotten what a spiteful bitch she can be. Almost.

"Presents!" Nicky cries from across the room. There's some scattered cheering. Neil looks absolutely delighted by the prospect of Andrew opening presents, and for a moment, Andrew imagines shoving him up against a wall and strangling him. Then he thinks, Neil would enjoy that entirely too much.

So that's how Andrew finds himself surrounded by a pile of gifts. Neil is sitting next to him grinning so hard it must hurt, his thigh a warm line against Andrew's. The Foxes are all beaming. Even Reynolds, who Andrew hates less and less the closer she and Neil become.

"Mine first," Neil says, and shoves a card into Andrew's hands. Andrew stares down at it.

Thick, creme envelope. Sealed with a cutesy fox sticker. Neil's bland, ordinary handwriting spelling out Andrew's name on the front. It's disgusting. Truly.

"What," Andrew drawls, sliding a finger under the sticker to prevent it from tearing, "No fancy watch? No lingerie?"

He's kidding about the lingerie, but it's worth it for the way Kevin chokes across the room and Aaron rolls his eyes skywards. Reynolds whoops, and Dan and Matt clap and cheer.

None of them need to know Neil's the one who wears the lingerie.

"That's for later," Neil says brightly, and, "Come on, open it!" even though Andrew is clearly already doing that.

It's a card. Obviously, it's a card. The front says "Happy Birthday to an Awesome Exy Player!" and there's an image of two racquets crossed underneath a helmet. It's ugly. It's the worst thing Andrew has ever seen. One glance at Neil shows that he is fully aware of this, and his shit-eating grin tells Andrew that's exactly why he chose it.

He flips it open, keeping his face carefully neutral. It's a blank card, but Neil's handwriting is scrawled onto the page. It's just one word.

Roadhead.

Andrew barks out a laugh, surprising even himself. The room falls silent, and when he looks at Neil, Neil is beaming.

"Like it?" he asks.

"I hate it," Andrew replies, and he touches his mouth because it's still twisted into a smile. "I hate you."

"I know," Neil says, and, "I want to kiss your cheek."

Andrew thinks about it, and then says, "Yes," so Neil does, just a quick peck. When Neil pulls away, the Foxes are staring.

"What?" Andrew says. He's--defensive. He's not unaware that everyone has long thought Neil is too good for him. On worse days, he agrees. But it's his birthday. He deserves to have this, today.

"Nothing," Matt says quickly, at the same time Nicky says, "What the hell does that card say that made you laugh like that?"

Andrew's fingers tighten protectively around the card. "Nothing."

"Some nothing," Reynolds says, bemused. Andrew takes back every nice thing he's ever thought about her. He hates her, and Neil, too.

He pulls a lighter out of his pocket, strikes it, and let's the card go up in flames before dropping it on top of the coffee table.

Someone, maybe Nicky, screams. Dan rushes into action, using her own jean jacket to bat out the flames. By the time she's done, the card is nothing but ashes.

Andrew looks at it dispassionately and repeats, "Nothing." Then he stands and leaves the room.

Neil finds him on the rooftop a few minutes later and steals his cigarette, taking one drag before handing it back. They're silent for several minutes, before Neil says, "Happy birthday, Andrew."

Andrew hates the warm, soft feeling in his stomach. He hates Neil for making him feel this way. He flicks ashes off his cigarette and says, "Was that card a promise?"

He doesn't look at Neil, but he can feel the darkening of his gaze. "If you want it to be."

Andrew thinks about it, feels a surge of heat in his body, and lets his head roll back until he can look at Neil. His pupils are blown, hair messy and still glittery, that fucking eyeliner, an imprint of Reynolds' lips on his cheek. Andrew reaches up to wipe it away and then stops, hand hovering, eyebrows raised in question. Neil leans into his hand in response, and Andrew smudges the lipstick away. Then, resting his hand against Neil's cheek, he asks, "Yes or no?"

"It's always yes," Neil replies, and Andrew says, "I hate you," and goes in for the kiss.

Happy birthday to Andrew, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> the lingerie reference will never be a fic, so here is my version of how that conversation happened.
> 
> Andrew, showing up with a Victoria secret bag: here.  
> Neil: what is this.  
> Andrew: you said you needed new underwear.  
> Neil, opening the bag and pulling out blue lace panties: Andrew.  
> Andrew:  
> Neil, blushing: I love it.  
> Andrew: I hate you.  
> Neil: sure. want to see me try it on?  
> Andrew: .....yes.
> 
> title from wasted love by city and colour.


End file.
